About the BCCC Quarterly
Originally launched in 2022 and comprehensively updated in 2025, the Blue Carbon & Climate Change (BCCC) Quarterly is a policy-oriented newsletter published in the first week of each quarter that tracks major trends, policy developments, and governance dynamics related to climate change in China, the United States, and globally. Building on its original foundation, the redesigned Quarterly now covers a broader range of climate-related issues and developments, offering readers a more integrated view of how climate governance is evolving across regions and sectors. A defining feature of the updated edition is the introduction of two in-depth special sections — the Climate Change Project Profile and the Climate Change Actor Profile — which provide structured insights into key initiatives and the institutions shaping climate policy and implementation.
2026 Quarter 3
Volume 5
Issue 3
- Project Profile -
The ICAS Team launched the Climate Change Project Profile section to provide accessible, issue-focused briefings on key mechanisms, tools, and initiatives shaping climate policy and implementation. These profiles aim to explain how specific climate-related frameworks operate, assess their recent developments, and examine their real-world impacts across different sectors and regions.
Each profile offers a timely overview of a selected topic—ranging from policy instruments to technical approaches—chosen for its relevance to the current global climate agenda. While grounded in factual research and institutional updates, the profiles also include a layer of analysis that highlights implications, points of tension, and areas where international cooperation, innovation, or greater attention may be needed moving forward.
2026 Q3: Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF)
By Zhangchen Wang
The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) is a Brazil-led financing initiative launched at COP30 in Belém in November 2025 to reward developing countries for keeping tropical forests standing. It seeks to make forest protection a continuing source of national income through annual payments tied to the area of eligible forest a country maintains. The initiative addresses a persistent imbalance: tropical forests help regulate the global climate, preserve biodiversity, and support livelihoods, but the countries and communities that protect them bear much of the cost and receive limited financial compensation.
- Actor Profile -
The Climate Change Actor Profile section is designed to provide concise and structured insight into institutions, agencies, or organizations that play an influential role in shaping climate and environmental outcomes. These profiles focus on the actors’ mandates, operational structures, key areas of work, and their recent actions or changes in direction.
Besides offering a comprehensive coverage, the Actor Profile also aims to give readers a grounded understanding of why an actor matters at this moment—both in terms of their past contributions and current trajectory. Particular attention is given to how their recent decisions affect broader policy trends, climate negotiations, or environmental governance at national, regional, or global levels.
2026 Q3: Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA)
By Zhangchen Wang
Aviation presents a difficult climate challenge because large commercial aircraft continue to depend on liquid fossil fuels, and fully transitioning aircraft propulsion systems to zero-emission technologies is extremely difficult from both technical and commercial standpoints. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offers a way to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions while using existing aircraft under approved technical conditions. However, its higher cost and limited supply constrain wider adoption. Expanding its use requires investment in production and sustained demand for the resulting fuel.
The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) seeks to accelerate aviation’s transition to net zero by supporting the growth of SAF. The alliance focuses on the corporate demand for lower-emission air transport. It enables businesses to help cover SAF’s additional cost and indirectly support investment in SAF fuel production. The ultimate goal is to encourage greater use of SAF and to build the demand and production needed for wider and more affordable clean air fuel adoption over time.